Austin Improv

re: Sic Alps

Aside from Pleasures & Treasures, the records were released in micro-quantities (anywhere from 300-500 copies pressed). The Description of the Harbor 12" EP, which just came out in December (and easily makes the top 10 list of 2007 releases), is currently going for $90 on eBay. I was able to track down most of the other records before they were gone but they're really hard to find.

That said, Animal Disguise Records will be putting out a 26-track CD (A Long Way Around to a Short Cut) in the springtime which compiles all of the records, compilation tracks, and the very hard to find Teenage Alps cassette.

You can download the Description of the Harbor EP here (while the link is still active). The a-side is cover of an old Strapping Fieldhands song, but for me the true gold is the 9-song side B. You can download "Strawberry Guillotine" (from a recent 7") here and "Semi-streets" (from a 2006 7" and the Pleasures and Treasures album) here. Both of those slay. Their earlier Soft Tour in Rough Form EP is still my fav tho.

Gratitude, Bob.

HerrHerr wrote:

sara_anm8r wrote:
PS. (He likes "They Might Be Giants")

Try some upbeat Flaming Lips. Try some old school Stevie Wonder.

They might be giants are coming to stubb's on march 5

First off, I'd like to ask for a recommendation. Over New Year's sitting around a cabin, an acquaintance played Emmylou Harris' "Orphan Girl" with just acoustic guitar and her lovely voice....it was really powerful and I wanted to hear a similar version. The Daniel Lanois production on that album always sort of irked me...but I had not really heard an alternative version of those great songs off of 'Wrecking Ball'. Does anyone know of a good, more spare, version of that song in particular?

Ok, that aside. I've been listening to:
Shuggie Otis Inspiration Information - There's only three or four recordings of Shuggie's music and this is easily the most thought out album...which he recorded at something like 19 after already playing session guitar on a number of heavyweight albums...and then he just left the scene.
Ali Farka Toure NiaFunke - Stripped down African blues guitar. I really enjoyed this album but I have heard some even more amazing stuff on the Afro-pop worldwide radio program that I want to get my hands on.
John Zorn Film Music XI and XIV- Prolific as always, he didn't start scoring films until somewhat recently and after starting he got up to like Vol. 20 in a very short amount of time. I haven't been able to keep up at all so I randomly picked out these two and I just really found them amazing. If you're used to his Naked City or Tonic Jazz stuff - this is far more melodic - but very compelling.
Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace and Young, Gifted and Black - You must hear 'Mary Don't you Weep' and her version of 'the long and winding road'. I'm contributing nothing by saying she has an amazing voice...but it should be said again anyway.
The Roots The Roots Come Alive - I actually really like their studio stuff better in a lot of cases, but it's really interesting to hear their stuff live - it gives the rap (especially acoustic rap) a different dimension. Plus this album features an amazing version of 'Love of My Life' with Jill Scott. She, too, has an amazing voice but tends to overdo the reverb/echo on her mic. In scanning through the videos available on Youtube, the only one I could find that comes close to her performance on the album is this one (with a slightly less ideal performance from Black Thought): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1dbf_W_ ... re=related
Sharon Jones 100 Days, 100 Nights - I guess I've got a thing for this sound right now. The Dap Kings just keep getting better and more honed in on their sound. You'd swear you were listening to a vintage group.
Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris - Love this guy. Smooth like Stan Getz - but with more meat on the bone. I don't know - I love music that I don't have the vocabulary to describe. I need to work on that.
Sun Ra Space is the Place - He's from outerspace - how can you not like him?

Miggy wrote:Emmylou Harris

There has been a bootleg floating around (I couldn't find it on the internet just now) of demos from Wrecking Ball. I've never heard it, but it could be from there. Also, perhaps it was the composer of the song, Gillian Welch, singing it herself? I'll keep an eye out if I ever see that demos collection though.

I heart Sun Ra.

gillian welch definitely does a more spare version of this song, and - as much as i love emmylou harris - really does the better version.

gillian welch is one of my favorite folkies. her album 'the revelator' is super tops.

still Sic Alps

I can't get enough of Driveshaft's - You All Everybody

TexasImprovMassacre wrote:I can't get enough of Driveshaft's - You All Everybody

Yeah. I like this song, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A26lVihjVdE

The Brigadier wrote:

TexasImprovMassacre wrote:I can't get enough of Driveshaft's - You All Everybody

Yeah. I like this song, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A26lVihjVdE

Oasis has got Nothin' on driveshaft!!

R.I.P.

I never got into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs like a lot of people did, but I've been listening to Fever to Tell obsessively for the past week.

scook wrote:I never got into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs like a lot of people did, but I've been listening to Fever to Tell obsessively for the past week.

skip the rest and just listen to the Isis EP after that... it's pretty similar and super rockin

Lants wrote:

scook wrote:I never got into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs like a lot of people did, but I've been listening to Fever to Tell obsessively for the past week.

skip the rest and just listen to the Isis EP after that... it's pretty similar and super rockin

word. Straight to Isis.

Both Stephanie and Shannon wrote:
This is Red Hash by Gary Higgins. It was released originally in 1973, but not widely and was off the radar for a long time. It's a quiet folk record and was recorded after Higgins had been arrested and sentenced on drugs charges, and it was actually released after Higgins started serving his sentence (it was 1-2 years in prison for possession of marijuana), so it has this kind of doomed sadness to it, but it's not a sad record really, it's quite delicate. Drag City re-issued it a few years ago.

He's playing SXSW along with Weird Weeds at a free show I just read about:

on another board, n. hennies of weird weeds wrote:2nd annual Asthmatic Kitty & Friends party at Okay Mountain (1312 E Cesar Chavez)

Friday March 14
KIT
The Weird Weeds
Gary Higgins
Hi Red Center
Marla Hansen

Saturday March 15
{{{Sunset}}}
Cryptacize
Son Lux
Smoke Detector
Grampall Jookabox

Both shows begin at 2pm, over by 6:30 or 7:00. Expect excellent free booze and other consumables, as well.

Miggy wrote:Shuggie Otis Inspiration Information - There's only three or four recordings of Shuggie's music and this is easily the most thought out album...which he recorded at something like 19 after already playing session guitar on a number of heavyweight albums...and then he just left the scene.

Thanks for the heads up, Mike. I love this album.